Yep, it's
almost Thanksgiving - our best wishes to you and your family for a
blessed one. We hope to get this page updated soon.

Summer -
September 2009 - The highlight for us was our was our short
September get-away to the mountains via Padlock Ranch, Dayton,
Wyoming. Thank you Wayne
Fahsholtz,
Padlock Ranch CEO, Tony and Vickie Line and Jerry Howard for
having us, and giving us the red carpet treatment. We both
thoroughly enjoyed meeting everyone and the clinic itself. We
spent the day after the clinic with our good friend, Dean Delp and
family, Hardin, Montana. Dean was able to make the first day
of the clinic. Those of you who have brought dogs for training
this summer, thank you.

It was an
honor to celebrate John and Karen Tate's (Seneca, Missouri) 40th
wedding anniversary with their family and friends in July. Means
relatives Theo and Sara Beth Kelly from Colorado stopped by while
making a circle from Colorado to Texas to Missouri and home
visiting relatives. Sure seems like the days came and went
in a hurry. It's turned off cool this month and we've
already seen 3 flocks (gaggles??) of Canadian Geese flying south.
Guess that means winter is around the corner. Time to lay in
fire wood. All of you are
appreciated. Have a blessed day, Ben and Leslie

June -
August 2009 - We've been so busy since May that we finally
looked at the calendar and it's almost time for the stock dog
clinic in Montana/Wyoming mid-September. We think we'll be right there north of
Sheridan, Wyoming at Decker, Montana. Call Ben for more info
918-784-2643.
Please check back to see pictures and summer updates. Below is still the
February - May info. Heck, Maria (pictured below from an
April visit) and Doug Lawson (Calgary, Alberta) are here for the
AVCA certification exams this week.

February - May 2009
- It's hard to believe we're halfway through this year. Thank you
tor those who called to check on us since it's
been that long since the last time we added pictures and an
update. Ben's been kept busy lambing and working dogs. He's organized informational meetings
this spring for landowners in this part of
Oklahoma and Kansas so they would be informed as the power company
puts in a high power transmission line through all of us. Ben is still
limiting it to 4 outside dogs at a time. That's his idea of
retirement. So get your name on the list ahead of time. Big
news for the first of the year was the birth of the first great
grandchild, Avery Kelly, in February. Leslie had a real perk when friend,
Maria Lawson flew down from Calgary, Alberta to work with her for
almost 2 weeks in April. Maria is the past executive
director of the Canadian Chiropractic Examining Board. They
got to have a little "girl time" too. Those of you who
have brought dogs, thank you very much for continued support. Folks, those who bring dogs for training, telephone to ask
questions or just visit, those who visit our web site, or those
who
just keep good thoughts for us - all of you are appreciated. Have a
blessed day, Ben and Leslie

October
2008 - January 2009
-
WOW, Happy New Year!!!! We're expecting our first
great-grandkid. It's a milestone though we don't consider the age
factor in. We think the 60's are the new 40's for sure J.
2008 was one of those years - Ben stayed even and ahead, Leslie
got behind with web info and office work.
Amy Hess hired on as
fulltime AVCA secretary in October. She's helping things get
squared away so that Leslie has a more normal schedule. The
cool part is that Amy and her family belong to
Cowboy Junction too
and are part of the youth ministry. We can't let 2008 come
to a close without thanking all of you who purchased training
videos and books, hired Ben to train your dogs, bought dogs and
puppies, stopped by or telephoned. We've posted a few
pictures that got taken the last part of 2008. Leslie was so
tied up in the office that we missed getting shots of most of our
visitors. Ben is spending the end of January lambing.
His Katahdins are a hardy bunch. So far he's only bottle fed
a couple lambs their first or second meal, and they were ready to
go. Wishing all of you all the promises and blessings of 2009, Ben
and Leslie

July, First of
August
2008
- It's
been a busy summer with some ups and downs. We appreciate your
calls, questions and training tape purchases. We want to remember
our small group family members Bill and Mary Aldinger of Afton,
Oklahoma who went home to the Lord the last of July. Folks, thank
you for the training dogs you've brought. We saw a span of 100
degree days and lots of humid days. Ben was up before daylight
to work dogs. Many of you fared the heat to stop in to work dogs.
We had a fun 4th at the Vasquez calf fry with friends and
neighbors. Seems like summer is soon turning into fall. The
kids in our neighborhood started school the first and second week
of August. The Will Rogers Memorial Rodeo is coming up the
end of August and will also be a memorial this year to his nephews
Bob and Clem McSpadden who passed away in July.

June
2008
- Wow,
can't believe it's already July. Wondering where June went.
So many of you came by, dropped off dogs, picked up dogs, tried
out dogs. You are appreciated. June is one of Ben's favorite
months - the Ben Johnson Memorial Steer Roping in Pawhuska, OK on
Dad's day. We pack up with food, water, sunscreen and
stadium seats and head that way bright and early. The other big
highlight of the month was a quick trip to central Illinois to
celebrate Leslie's Uncle John Collins' 85th birthday. He
planned it himself so there'd be no surprises. Greg Miller,
Corsicana, TX drove up to look at Miss Patch and took her home.
Neighbors Allen Sanders and Steve Bruner and Ben all went to the
big sheep sale at Sedalia, MO. Folks there's more below. Happy
Independence Day - every day. Thank you to all our fighting
men and women and our veterans.

May 2008
- Thanks for your calls to make sure we were in one-piece after
the devastating tornado damage to families in Craig and Ottawa
counties right before Mother's Day. Just about 8 miles or so
north of us the tornado started moving eastward. May has
been hectic. Oldest grandson, Dustin Angel graduated from
Pittsburg State University, Kansas. Brother Bernard came
over to spend the day. Ben's been manning the welcome post
and checking out dogs. Since he was working too he didn't
get pictures of everyone who stopped in and/or brought dogs.
Leslie is double-timing it at work until the
AVCA hires a new
secretary. Training dogs have come and gone. Ray
Freeman (OK) picked up Kate. Ronald Kirby (MO) dropped off
his female for training.

February -
April 2008
- Bet you thought we weren't ever gonna change the home page
pictures. Seems like we've already squeezed several months
into these 3. The
AVCA and Registry offices received new paint and flooring.
That was one of our biggest hurdles. In fact the Registry
offices aren't yet completed. We had our bouts with achy flu
and colds - seemed like they didn't go away. And the
weather/winter never ended. April has brought s-h-o-w-e-r-s.
It's soggy and muddy. There are "low water bridges" where we
haven't had them before! So many of you have stopped in to
visit, brought dogs for training and picked them up. All are
appreciated. Forgive us if you don't see your picture or
name. We've helped with the AVCA spring certification
examinations and even made it up to Gordon and Pat Christiansen's
in Durham, Kansas for their annual cow dog trial. We saw
some really good dogs. You can read more about that at
www.cowdogcentral.com A few of you and/or your dogs are
pictured. Ed Hamersley (MO), L.R. Alenxander (MO), Eric
Wanman (ID), Nicole Rhodes (IN), Dustin Evans (OK), Jim Etling
(TX), Glenn Guttridge (TX), Steve Sturtz (TX).

January 2008 - As you can see, clean-up from the ice storm
is still going on, but we're gaining. Ben works at it almost
every day. Goose hunting has been good. Naw, Ben
doesn't goose hunt. Neighbors Jamie and his son Jacob do.
Dr. Liz Fullbright, Cross 7 Vet, got a new Standard Poodle pup.
We've had some folks in and out looking at dogs and dropping dogs
off for training. The Martin Herron family, Quapaw, Oklahoma took
home Brazos. Ben's started Angel and Tom early. Tom
already went to Gary McGee, Vinita, Oklahoma and Gary's using him
on his goat herd. Lambing has started and the temperatures
continue to go up and down. Ben's started throwing on a
green log or two from the recently cut wood. We've been
through a lot of wood this winter. But we figure each day
gets us that much closer to spring. We hope all of you are
faring well, too.

December 2007
- Wow ! This year will be remembered as the year of ice
storms. We had a little of the January and February storms,
but very little time without electricity and water. This
December one wreaked havoc on our corner of Oklahoma. Our
power went off in the wee hours of December 8th and came back on
mid-afternoon December 16th. Some folks have just now had
theirs restored and others are still waiting. Our outage was
simply an "inconvenience" as we counted our blessings with a wood
stove, propane water heaters, oil lamps and rural water. We
did suck it up a little on the 3rd or 4th day when the water
stopped, but they had it running again by late afternoon.
Our neighborhood spent most of the time checking on each other.
Some had generators and when they could, shared them. To be
honest, we had mixed emotions when the lights came back on.
Thanks to all who stopped in, called and sent cards this holiday
season. We appreciate you.

October - November 2007
- Where do the days go? The time change really shortened our
work day....or, made us get up earlier? We're still
confused. Ben's kept busy training outside dogs, hauling in
firewood, inspecting and fixing all those little things to get us
ready for winter. John and Karen Tate, Seneca, Missouri have
been over a couple times. Allen Sanders, Bluejacket,
Oklahoma has been in and out and about. He and Ben went to
the OKC and Tulsa State Fair Cattle Dog Trials and leaving
Thanksgiving weekend for Steve Sturtz's in San Angelo, Texas.
More dog trading. Son Blaine, wife Karen and grandsons A.J.
and Joseph got to visit in October. Leslie spent a week in
Houston the first part of November at the
American Veterinary Chiropractic Association annual
conference. Everyone's been in and out, bringing and picking
up dogs. Bill Hannan, Trezevant, Tennessee and John and
Misty Tutor, Demascus, Arkansas. Matt and Liz Fullbright purchased
a place north of Vinita on Highway 2 for their Cross 7 Veterinary
Clinic. The big move was mid October. Happy Veteran's
and Thanksgiving Days !! Safe travel.